Sen. Al Franken's resignation took effect Tuesday, weeks after he announced from the Senate floor that he would step down after the majority of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate urged him to do so. Multiple women claimed that Franken inappropriately touched them or attempted to kiss them.

"I write to resign my seat as a United States Senator for the State of Minnesota effective at 1 pm Eastern Standard Time on January 2, 2018," Franken wrote in his letter to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, which was obtained by a CBS Minnesota reporter.

"Serving the State of Minnesota in the U.S. Senate has been a privilege and an honor," Franken continued. "I am grateful to Minnesotans for giving me the chance to serve our state and our nation, and I am proud to have worked on their behalf."

Sen. Al Franken thanks supporters

Franken said he has denied some of the allegations against him, and recalls other instances differently. He believed the Senate Select Committee on Ethics was the appropriate venue for managing those accusations. But Franken did recognize that he would need to step aside.